Posture chair



NOV. 17, ,1953 R, A CRAMER 2,659,413

POSTURE CHAIR Filed DeC. 10, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VEN T 0R.

Patented Nov. 17, 1953 POSTURE CHAIR Roy A. Cramer, Kansas City, Mo.

Application December 10, 1948, Serial No.

9 Claims. (C1. 155-94) This invention relates to posture chairs and more particularly to chairs of the type provided with foot rests, together with provision for adjusting the height of the chair Seat and the position of the foot rest.

Chairs of the general type to which the present invention appertains have heretofore been provided. rlhat is to say, such chairs have embodied an adjustable seat-supporting pedestal together With an adjustable foot rest or ring. In cases employing changing shifts of workers, as for example in switch board work and applications of a like nature where frequent height adjustments of the seat and foot rest are required, chairs of the above type are especially desirable. It has been found however, that the chairs heretofore proposed have certain objections and disadvantages, especially where it is desired to vary the adjustments quickly and with a minimum of eifort.

Accordingly, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a novel posture chair wherein the adjusting mechanisms for the seat and foot rest are of such a character that the desired adjustments may be made with a minimum of time and effort.

A further object of the invention is to provide a posture chair of the above character which is so constructed and arranged that the seat is self-elevating except when locked in any desired position of vertical adjustment.

Another object is to providea novel foot-rest construction which is self-elevating independently of the seat, except when the foot rest is locked at a desired position.

A further object is to'provide a novel locking mechanism for the seat and foot rest which isfso arranged as to positively lock these parts in any desirable 'adjusted position, and to be incapable of accidentally remainingin an unlocked condition.

'A still further object residesin the novel construction and cooperative' relationship of the parts hereinafter described in` detail,` all of these resulting in a highly elicient arrangement insuring quick, easy and positive operation during the adjustment of the seat height and the position of the foot rest.

AGther objects and novel features of the invention will appear more fullyhereinafterfrom 'a consideration of the following'detailed `description when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings illustrative' of one form of the invention. It is to be' expressly understood however, that the drawings are employedfor pur'- poses of illustration as a definition of the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views;

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a posture chair Jembodying the principles of the present invenion;

Fig. 2 is a partial view taken from one side of the chair and illustrating the novel construcfor automatically raising the foot rest; Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section and taken substantially at right angles to Fig. 2;

` Fig. 4 is a partial sectional View of one of the locking plungers shown in locked position, and

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating the plunger in unlocked position.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the rpresent invention is illustrated therein as comprisslidably receiving a chair ped- I 8 is supported upon the upper and preferably such seat support I4 isa appear more fully hereinafter, such self-elevating to facilitate adjustment thereof with respect to the seat. The details of construction of the seat and back rest form no part To this endan expansibl latter and the seat I3 inany desired position of vertical adjustment. From thisY construction within the support I'bepedestal I6 and the seat I8. This automatic elevation of the seat is preferably resisted by the hand of the operator so that proper seat adjustment may be rapidly accomplished prior to projection of the locking plunger to its locked position.

A further feature of the invention includes an arrangement for automatically raising the foot ring 2| withV respect to the seat I8 so that proper adjustment of said ring may be effected in a rapid manner. As shown, such arrangement includes a contractile resilient member 32, opposite ends of which are respectively connected to the foot ring 2I and the base Iii at 33 and 35, it

being pointed out that the foot ring is provided A with a hub sleeve 34 which is slidably mounted on the support I4. Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the member 32, intermediate its ends, is received by a grooved pulley or wheel 3G, the latter being mounted upon a shaft 33 which is threadedly received by a collar 49 and the upper end of the support I4. The resilient member 32, which may be formed as a coiled spring or as a shock cord of rubber or like material, is assembled as above set forth under tension, so that its action will constantly tend to raise the foot ring 2| with respect to the seat I3 and the base I8. A locking device 42, similar to the locking device 2B, is provided with a projectible locking plunger 44 which may be received in a selected one of a plurality of openings 48 in a latching member 48 which is secured to the base IB at one end thereof. In this manner, the foot ring 2l may be unlocked and thereafter allowed to automatically elevate or be depressed, under the control of the operator. Thereafter it is only necessary to release the device 42 to lock the foot ring at the desired height.

In order to secure an efficient operation of the locking devices 28 and 42, which are of similar construction as above stated, a novel locking plunger and cam actuator are employed. Referring more particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the desI vice 28 includes a housing 50 which is fixed within suitable openings provided in the upper end of ,L

the latching member 4.8 the collar 40 and the support I4. In this manner the member 48 is rmly secured to the support I4 adjacent its upper end. The open end of the housing 50 is closed by a threaded aperto-red member 52 and the plunger 30 is slidably mounted as shown, a spring 54 being confined between the member 52 and an enlarged part 56 of the plunger and constantly acting to project the plunger to the locking po. sitlon illustrated in Fig. 4. The right endl 58 of the plunger projects outwardly from the housing 50 and is pivotally connected to an actuating lever 51 as by a pivot pin 60. More particularly, the lever 51 is channel shaped in cross section to provide two side pieces which embrace the end 58 and which are curved in order to provide camming parts 62 which bear against the member 52 to cam the plunger 30 to its unlocked position as the lever 51 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 5. Preferably the curvature of the camming parts 62 is such that as the lever 51 is moved to unlock the plunger, the areas of contact between such parts and the member 52 will always be displaced from the axis of the plunger, which axis passes through the pivot pin 60. Thus even if the lever is moved to a position where it is axially parallel with the plunger 30, and the base of the channel shaped lever 51 engages the plunger 30, the said areas of contact will be displaced above the plunger axis. With such an arrangement, should the operator remove his hand from the lever 51 when the latter occupies said parallel position, the action of the spring 54 will project the plunger 30 toward the left and cam the lever 51 in a clockwise direction about its pivot 60'. Hence, the construction provided avoids any possibility of the plunger being latched in an unlocked condition during the adjusting operation. This materially facilitates the unlocking and locking actions of the devices 28 and 42.

In operation, and assuming that the parts occupy the relative positions illustrated in Fig. l, should it be desired to effect a vertical adjustment o f the seat I8, the following procedure is followed. The operator rst places his hand upon the seat I8 and thereafter moves the lever 51 of thelocking device 28 in a direction to unlock the plunger 30 with respect to the pedestal I5. As soon as the unlocking action has been effected, it will be readily understood that the action of the spring 22 tends to automatically elevate the pedestal I6 and the seat I8` against the resistance of the operators hand. With the plunger 30 in its unlocked condition, it will be clear that a proper height adjustment of the seat I8 may be readily achieved by either allowing the seat I8 to rise in accordance with the expansion of the spring 22 or by pressing the seat downwardly against the force of said spring. As soon as the desired height adjustment has been secured, the operator releases the lever 51 whereupon the spring 54 immediately projects the plunger 30 to the locking position illustrated in Fig. 3. In the event that the end of the plunger 30 does not register with one of the openings 32', it is only necessary for the operator to remove his hand from the seat I8 in order to allow further upward movement of the pedestal I6 in order to bring the desired opening 32 in registry with the end of plunger 30.

Following the above adjustment, a similar operation is carried out if it is desirable to adjust the height of the foot ring 2I with respect to the seat. In this case, the plungerv 44 is moved to its unlocked position whereupon the foot ring 2I tends to automatically be elevated in response to the action of the resilient member 32. The automatic elevation of the foot rest is controlled by the hand of the operator and as soon as the desired adjustment is secured, the lever associated with the locking device 42 is released and the plunger 44 will be received in the proper opening 46 of the latching member 48.

In making both the above adjustments, it will be recalled that due to the camming parts 52 of f" the levers associated with'the locking devices 28 and 42j, neither of the latter may ever be iatched in an unlocked condition. This feature is highhr desirable and contributes to the positive locking action of the locking devices and greatly simplies the. adjusting operations.

From the foregoing, it will be readily perceived that the present invention provides a novel posture chair construction which is well adapted for use where frequent height adjustments of the seat and/or foot rest are necessary. The'provision of the spring 22 results in an automatic self-elevating action of the seat and seat pedestal when these parts are unlocked with respect manner, the arrangement of the resilient member 32 in connection with the foot rest 2l also enables a quick and ready adjustment of the height of the foot rest with respect to the seat. The locking devices 28 and 42 and their associated levers for camming the locking plungers to their tubular housing connecting the upper end of the latch member with the upper end of the tubular vention is not limited to the form shown but is engageable with the housing for moving the capable of a wide variety of expressions Without l plunger within the housing to an unlocking posideparting from the spirit of the invention. Reftion upon movement of the lever about the pivot.

erence will therefore be had to the appended In a chan of the type comprising a base claims for a definition of the limits of the invenhaving a hollow support, a seat a pedestal supon porting the seat and slidably mounted in the What is claimed is: l5 support, said pedestal being provided with a plu- 1. A chair comprising a base having a support rality of spaced apart openings, and means for extending upwardly therefrom, a seat, a pedestal locking said pedestal to the support in a desired desired position of vertical adjustment housing, a spring within the housing constantly 2 A chair comprising a base having a, tubular 2o urging the plunger toward its proJected position, Lsupport extending upwardly therefrom a seat, and a manually operable lever for moving said base comprising an expansible spring housed plunger, and providing also a base portion con- J'USment Comprising a vertically extending latch 40 curved ends of said side portions and the housa selected one of said plurality 0f openings. on and cams the lever to said normal position 3. In a Chair ha-Vng a base provided With a when said lever is released,

SUIJQOI; eXendng upwardly JlleleilOlIl, a Seat, 6. A chair comprising a base having a tubular and a pedestal supporting the seat and slidably support extending upwardly therefrom, a seat,

raising the foot rest with respect to the support with a plurality of spaced openings,- a foot ring support extending upwardly therefrom, a, seat, 6i) therein, a locking member carried by the foot the support, a wheel rotatably mounted on the plunger within the housing, having an end the foot ring with respect to the base and supoted to said projecting end for retira-ating the cmming parts lwhich bear against'the housing -resilientmeans-within the-housingffor projecting to retract the plunger as the lever is moved about the plunger into locking position, and a manuthe pivotal connection withthe plunger. ally operablemember-pivoted to said end portion 7. A chair as set forth in claim 6 wherein the for retracting the plunger to unlock the foot ring, area, of engagement between said curved ends of 5 said last, named member comprising a channel the lever and the housing is displaced-from the shaped lever yprovding a pair of opposite side axis of the plunger. Aportions for receiving said projecting end por- 8. In a chair having a base provided with an tion, the ends of the `said side portions being opening, a seat, a pedestal supporting saidseat veurved t0 Aprovide Cumming pelis which bear and slidaby mounted in the opening in-the base, 10 Aagainst said end-closing member to retract the moans carried by the base for looking the pedesplunger as the lever is moved about the pivotal tal at a desired vertical position, a foot ring hav- CQnneCtiOn with the plungering a hub slidably mounted on the base, a wheel l9. -A chair asset forth in claim 6 wherein the rotatably carried by the base above the foot area 0f engagement between Said Curved ends ring,ra contractile resilient member passing over 15 of the lever and the end-closing member is dissaid Wheel and having its opposite ends `respec- 'placed 'fromthe eXS 0f the phlngen tively connected with the foot ring and the base ROY A- CRM/1111K below the foot ring to automatically raise the foot ring with respect to the base, a latch mem- 'Referemfes Cited in the me of this patent ber having a plurality of spaced openings there- 20 UNITED STATES PATENTS in and secured to the base, a housing carried by Number Name Date the hub, said housing having an apertured end- 277,759 'Maguire May 15, 1333 closing member, a locking plunger slidably 316,281 Mai-,mie Apr, 21, 1335 mounted Within the housing and projectible into 373,249 Lang Dec, 10, 1907 a selected opening in the latch member to lock 25 1,001,417 Loos Aug. 22, i911 the foot ring in a desired position o vertioalad- 1,610,069 Weber Dec. '1, 1926 justment, said plunger havingan end portion 2,308,358 Cramer Jan.12,1943

projecting through said end-closing member, 2,516,801 Renaud July 25, 1950 

